Albums with the best winter vibes

No matter what anyone tells you, music is seasonal. Not holiday music, but everyday, all-genre music can amplify and fit seasons like a glove in the winter. 

As the winter rages on for what feels like forever, music can help you romanticize the seasons. Do some albums arguably feed winter depression? Yes. However, listening to songs that perpetuate a winter vibe can be comforting. 

What makes a winter album a winter album? Well, it can range from just pure vibes to release dates to memories. I’ve had multiple albums in my winter rotation for years, and to hold you over until it’s finally warm, I’ll recommend them! 

“Positions” by Ariana Grande

If you’re looking for a pop album for winter, “Positions” is the way to go. Personally, when winter rolls around, I find myself gravitating towards sadder, slower-paced music because it fits the dark, gloomy mood outside. Though so many of my album requests do fit this description, it’s important to have balance, or at least a mix.  

“Positions” was released in late October 2020, so my first listen was characterized by snow and cold. However, this album just screams winter. The album is a mix of upbeat pop songs and slower, more romantic R&B songs. 

With features from artists like Doja Cat, The Weeknd, and Ty Dolla $ign, “Positions” was just meant to be a hit. 

I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia from 2020, but this album just feels like walking to class in the winter. It is the perfect pop album for you to listen to as you try not to freeze on the walk to your chemistry class. 

Some standout tracks on “Positions” include “Off the Table” featuring The Weeknd, “Safety Net” featuring Ty Dolla Sign, “Just Like Magic” and “Motive” featuring Doja Cat. 

“Currents” by Tame Impala 

This is when the waters get muddy. “Currents” was released in July 2017, which technically makes it a summer album; however, in every way that matters, it is not. I’m not sure whether it is because many songs from the album went viral in the winter years after its release, or if it is strictly vibe-based, but this album is winter. 

“Currents” is a no-skips, experimental album that was ahead of its time. It continues to amaze me every winter when I revisit it as a whole. 

The synth-pop album is a beautiful, emotional work that soothes and heals my winter depression all at once. “Currents” has themes of change, heartbreak, and moving on, which is perfect for the beginning of a new year. 

This entire album is a standout track, and I honestly can’t give you a favorite except “Yes I’m Changing.” 

“Currents” doesn’t have a bad song. 

“Teen Dream” by Beach House 

Released in January 2010, “Teen Dream” was born to be a winter album. Its snow-like-colored cover and its cold synth, along with its devastating lyrics, totally capture the season. 

The album is categorized as dream pop and certainly lives up to that title. To me, there seems to be a dream-like film over the album, and it feels like waking up to the early darkness of winter.

“Teen Dream” feels like nostalgia. Every song feels familiar, and it’s comforting because of that. It feels like a snow day in elementary school, and also a freezing morning in the present. The album is a warm hug to me, even though it’s as devastating as it is comforting.  

Standout tracks on “Teen Dream” include “Take Care,” “Norway,” “Zebra” and “10 Mile Stereo.”

“Never Enough” by Daniel Ceaser

Daniel Ceaser is winter to me. Every single album of his is a winter necessity, whether it’s released in the season or not. However, if I had to pinpoint a specific album that takes the cake with this vibe, it’s “Never Enough.” 

This album was released in April 2023 and isn’t even my favorite of his, but it seriously gets the job done as soon as it gets cold outside.  

I can’t survive the weather without a comforting R&B album, and this is the album for me. 

“Never Enough” is a beautiful collection of heartbreak, nostalgia, and a hint of fun. The album gives me a similar feeling to that of winter in 2019- take that as you will. 

I love the feeling this album gives me. Daniel Ceaser truly has one of the best voices currently, and you deserve to feel the comfort he provides. 

“Never Enough” standout tracks include “Toronto, 2014,” “Cool,” “Let Me Go” and “Superpowers.”

“Pony” by Orville Peck 

Though I don’t consider myself a country fan, Orville Peck just transcends genre. He, and this album as a whole gives country an entirely new meaning. Or maybe it does the opposite of that because Peck’s voice captures everything the old country is about. 

Between the nostalgia Peck’s voice evokes in me and the late winter vibe of the album, I couldn’t make a list without including this album. 

“Pony” was released in late March of 2019, but I found it around January a few years back after one of the hits from the album was featured on “Euphoria” Season 2. It immediately became a winter essential to me, and I can’t associate it with any other season. 

Peck brings an Elvis and Roy Orbison sound to the album, which just makes the album that much more unique and praiseworthy. 

Standout tracks on “Pony” include “Hope to Die,” “Dead of Night,” “Big Sky” and “Kansas (Remembers Me Now).” 

“Heaven or Las Vegas” by The Cocteau Twins 

“Heaven or Las Vegas” might be one of my favorite albums of all time, and I always revisit it after that first snow. 

I might not know what the lyrics are saying, but I know the vibes, and that is what matters. This album is another dream pop that fits its genre to a tee. Much like “Teen Dream,” there is a hazy, dream-like filter over the album that makes it undeniably winter. 

Though released in September of 1990, “Heaven or Las Vegas” has a cold feeling that you can only get after the holidays. There is a coziness to the album that draws me in every single year. 

The beautiful thing about not understanding what an artist or artists are saying is that you can really focus on the music. “Heaven or Las Vegas” has stunning instrumentals that can soothe the frigid weather. 

Standout tracks on the album include “Cherry-Coloured Funk,” “Wolf in the Breast,” “Iceblink Luck” and “Heaven or Las Vegas.” 

“In Rainbows” by Radiohead

I couldn’t have a winter album ranking without the presence of Radiohead, the winter depression band, in my opinion. So many Radiohead albums fit the chilly ambiance I’m looking for during these months, but I had to pick my favorite.

“In Rainbows” is nothing short of a masterpiece, and though it was released initially in the fall of 2007, it was released in North America in the winter, so that has to count for something.

The album is the perfect amount of devastating that I find myself looking for every time this time rolls around. It’s breathtaking and versatile, yet it is cohesive and fits nicely. 

I’m honestly in love with this album, and I cannot recommend it enough. It does, however, kick you while you're down, so if you’re trying to raise your spirits, you should avoid it at all costs. 

“In Rainbows” standout tracks include “Nude,” “Weird Fishes /Arpeggi,” “All I Need” and “Videotape.” 

“This is Why” by Paramore 

Paramore’s “This is Why” is the best closer I can think of. This album captures everything playful and exciting about winter. 

Yet, of course, there is a devastating edge to each and every song. But that's what makes Paramore so special. 

The album was released in early February 2023, so it appears to me as a late winter classic. It’s a winter storm and a way too freezing day. 

It’s another album that is so tastefully versatile while also remaining cohesive, with songs that fit together perfectly. It’s a Grammy winner, yet still underrated. 

Standout tracks on “This is Why” include “Thick Skull,” “Crave,” “Liar” and “The News.” 

Any of these albums is worthy of a listen any time of the year, but they will always have that winter feel. Next time you need to walk in the cold to your chemistry class or sit inside and rot while it snows outside, these albums have your back.